Always Where I Need To Be
by Prone To Obsession
Summary: Continuation Story from where the series ended. Sequel to my last story "Change Your Mind" but you don't need to read that to understand this one, really. Rated T just for suggestions and themes. Maybe slight language later on.
1. Problems & Bigger Ones

**Disclaimer: I do not own 10 Things or any of the characters. This is all in fun so...no one sue me, mmkay? I have no money anyway.**

**Author's Note: So I started writing this story a while ago. Reading some of the other "continuation" stories, there's a few things that are pretty common as far as Walter's reaction and all. I just want to say right off the bat that I did not steal any ideas from anyone (I think there's just so many ways that Walter would really react so it's hard to be truly original and stay in character!). EXCEPT I did steal one thing. It comes in the second chapter and I won't mention it until then but all credit for it goes to SadEyedLadyOfTheLowlands (I really hope she doesn't mind; her story's awesome and this one will be nothing like it so you should go read hers as well). I'll let you know what it is when we get to that part! Anyway, enough of this super long author's note. On to the story. Oh yeah, and this is a sequel to my last story "Change Your Mind". You don't have to read that one to get this one, but I certainly recommend it.**

"I'm not leaving!" Walter's outburst hung in the air, adding to the tension that was growing more and more palpable by the millisecond. Kat sat staring at her father, clutching her sheets against her chest. Patrick had his head buried in a pillow, just praying that this was some kind of nightmare. Walter was the first to snap out of the shock-induced paralysis. "30 seconds!" he declared, turning his back, but not exiting the room.

"Uh...um..." Kat stammered, "Wait, what?"

"Twenty-seven seconds to get dressed. Twenty-four. Twenty-three..." as Walter continued counting down, Kat and Patrick scrambled around trying to locate their clothes. They managed to throw something on, and just as Walter counted the last few seconds, Patrick reached out and gave Kat's hand a quick squeeze, before jumping as far away from her as physically possible. He didn't want Walter catching him even breathing the same air as Kat at this point.

Kat appreciated the gesture, but was still dreading what was to come. She had broken what was pretty much her father's only real rule. She had no idea what to expect. Or what to say. "Dad," she started, shaking her head, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse for what he had walked in on, but her father cut her off.

"No." His voice was stern and icy cold. "Now is not the time for you to talk, Katarina. Now is the time for you to be very, _very_ quiet." He turned to Patrick, "And now is the time for _you_ to leave. And never come _near_ my daughter again."

Patrick licked his lips. God, his mouth was dry. He had a general rule; when a girl's dad kicked you out, you listened. No girl was worth that kind of trouble. So what Patrick said next surprised even himself, "No."

"I'm sorry, what?"

He took a step forward, towards where Kat stood, and reached for her hand, an open gesture of both defiance and loyalty. "I said no. I'm not just going to agree to never see Kat again. Not to mention, there's no way I'm leaving her here to face you all on her own. I'm involved in this too, and you can't just pretend otherwise."

Kat tugged her hand from Patrick's grip, bringing it up to brush a stray lock of hair out of her face. She bowed her head, trying to hide her smile so her father wouldn't see how thrilled she was at Patrick's words.

Walter smiled too, but not because he was thrilled. His was the smile of an evil plan being hatched. "That's very noble of you, um, man-boy."

Kat looked at her father and suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "Patrick, dad. His name is _Patrick_."

"Patrick. I'm glad you're willing to face what comes next. Because a baby is a lot of responsibility."

Now, Kat really did roll her eyes. "Dad, please. I am not going to get pregnant. We were responsible; we used protection. And—and!" she added, before her father could launch into the whole STD speech, "we got tested."

Walter was still smiling. Without saying another word, he motioned the two teenagers to follow him into the living room. By this time, Bianca was shut up in her room with Dawn, oblivious to the chaos her sister's life was in. Only Cameron, awkwardly waiting for his girlfriend, remained.

"Katarina, do you know that condoms are only effective 97% of the time?" Walter asked. He didn't wait for a response, instead walking into his office for a moment.

"Dawn!" Cameron cried, running up the stairs with a terrified look on his face. "Bianca! I think Dawn & I should go now!" His voice was drowned out as he slammed Bianca's door.

Kat and Patrick both took a step closer together, anxiously waiting to see what Walter was doing. At just that moment, Dr. Stratford came back out of the office. He was carrying a pregnancy simulator belly. "Kat," he said simply, "You just beat the odds."

Patrick, who up until now was looking, understandably, freaked out, suddenly grinned. "Congratulations, mom!"

**End Note: After that super short chapter, here's another long note! I have the outline of this story laid out but I'm note sure how to format it. Should I do one chapter for each day of spring break? Or will that make it drag too much? That would make it about 9 or 10 chapters long. Let me know in a review what you think about it!**


	2. Whatshername

**Disclaimer: I don't own 10TIHAY or any of the characters, etc.**

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews so far guys! Yes, the chapters are going to be kind of short for the most part. But I'm going to try to post a couple at a time for a while since I have most of the story written already, so hopefully that'll make up for it. It's basically going to be like one little "Katrick moment" per day of spring break.**

It was Kat's turn to make dinner that night, and apparently, having a 10-pound fake baby strapped to her stomach didn't excuse her from that. As she struggled to get her vegan casserole in the oven, she thought about the events of the day before. She really had to hand it to her dad; his punishment for catching her and Patrick together was...ingenious. On top of Kat wearing the "Sympathy Belly", Walter had decided Patrick should be witness to his daughter's torture and humiliation.

"I still don't get it," Bianca asked, sitting at the counter watching Kat cook. "If Dad's so upset about you and Patrick having sex, why is Patrick spending Spring Break _sleeping in our house_?"

Kat sighed, trying to explain it in simple terms for her sister. "After Dad called Patrick's mom & step-dad, he got kicked out of his house. I think Dad felt kind of guilty about that, so he's letting Patrick stay on the couch. But believe me, there is no way anything can happen between us while he's here. Not only has Dad taken my door away, Mr. Duck," she motioned to the duck-shaped camera, "now has little friends all over the house, recording my every move. I can't even _think about_ Patrick without Dad knowing. God, why does this baby weigh so much? What have I been feeding it, steroids? Because I'm pretty sure I'm against that!" Kat slammed the oven door and waddled to the couch. Bianca laughed and left her sister in misery. She still hadn't heard from Joey since his on-air lip-lock with the super-skank, so her and Dawn were having a slumber party, filled with Ben & Jerry's and sappy movies.

As Bianca left, Patrick walked in, tossing Kat's car keys on the counter. "She's safe and sound, and sparkling clean," he announced, grinning. He was expecting a warm thanks for rescuing Kat's car after basically the entire school had used it as a trash dump the day before.

"My car is not a _she_," Kat snapped. "That's extremely sexist."

"You're welcome," Patrick mumbled, flopping down on the couch next to her. He looked at Kat out of the corner of his eye. She had her eyes closed, head leaning back against the couch, feet up on the coffee table. With that belly thing her dad was making her wear, under that giant old t-shirt, she really did look pregnant; it was so weird. He knew Dr. Stratford's plan was to freak him out and make him run for the door. And honestly, Patrick had almost done it a couple of times already. But, something, or rather, someone, seemed to have him anchored to this loony-bin. Suddenly, Patrick reached his hand out and laid it on Kat's fake belly. "So," he joked, "what are we going to name it?"

Kat opened her eyes and laughed. "Well, I've always kind of liked Jane for a girl."

"Mm, like the Aerosmith song?" Patrick smiled and started an off-key version of "Janie's Got A Gun":

"'They say when Janie was arrested They found him underneath a train...' yeah, I like that."

Kat rolled her eyes. "I was thinking more along the lines of Jane Austen, or Jane Addams, or Jane Goodall."

Patrick grimaced. "Are you saying you want our baby to live with apes?"

"Well, you are living here now, so I guess she will."

"Hey!" Patrick playfully tossed a pillow at Kat.

As Walter scanned through the video footage later, he started to wonder if his idea was really as fool-proof as he thought.

**End Note: So the idea for Patrick staying with the Stratfords is totally and completely SadEyedLadyOfTheLowlands. She is awesome for thinking of it and, with her tacit permission I'm borrowing the idea for my story. (Again, I say, if you don't like it please please please just let me know, SadEyedLady! It was just too awesome an idea for me to pass up!)**


	3. She's Electric

**Disclaimer: I don't own 10TIHAY or any of the characters, etc.**

**A/N: The title of this chapter is a song by Oasis, and that's the song that inspired the whole thing. This is the one I'm most worried about being OOC but I kind of like the idea of...well, this. You'll see. :)**

Patrick was sitting on the steps of the back porch, talking in hushed tones to someone on his cell phone. Kat was in the kitchen, trying her best not to be nosy and listen from through the open window. Patrick knew what she was doing, and so stepped down from the porch and made his way to sit under one of the few trees in the backyard that provided any kind of shade.

"I'm fine, mom," he said, once he was away from prying ears. "I swear, I'm keeping out of trouble."

"I hope so, sweetie," came the voice from the other end. "I'm so sorry for the way Brad reacted. But really, you can't be surprised that we're upset at the thought of you out doing...god knows what with some girl!"

"She's not _some girl_, mom." Patrick's voice was strained. His relationship with his mom had been deteriorating ever since she started dating (and then married) Brad. Brad was a jerk who treated his mom badly and Patrick even worse. Patrick hadn't talked to her about Kat at all; he figured she didn't really have the best judgment when it came to relationships. But he couldn't let her think that Kat was some slut he just hooked up with. "Mom...I..." he stopped. He didn't really know what to say.

She was his mother, though, and she knew from the tone of his voice that something was up. She wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily. "Tell me about her," she said sweetly, though he knew it was more of a command than a question.

"Her name's Kat. Her family moved here from Ohio last summer." Suddenly, Patrick found himself pouring out all he knew about Kat. He couldn't stop talking about her if he tried. He told his mom about Kat's crazy dad and shallow sister and dead mother. He told her about Kat's activism and feminism and vegan-ism. He told her about Meatless Mondays and Kat's date with Blank and how she once made him sneak into school so she could take a test. When he was done, he let out a huge sigh.

There was silence on the other end, and Patrick even checked his phone to make sure he hadn't been talking to dead air for the last fifteen minutes. Finally his mother said, "Patrick, why haven't you mentioned her before?" She sounded hurt.

"Mom, you know I'm not exactly the sort to talk about stuff like this with _anyone_, it's not just you."

She let out a small laugh, "I know sweetheart. I guess I just miss when you were young and you told me everything." She sighed, "But I guess when you're in love, you don't want to share it with your old mom."

Patrick, who was sitting in the grass, leaning against the tree trunk, bolted upright. "Woah, mom. I never used...that word."

She laughed again, "Oh honey, I know we've grown apart a little the last couple years, but I'm still your mother. You don't need to say it, I can just tell about these things."

Patrick was speechless. He was trying to come up with words of protest, to tell her that's crazy. That he's Patrick Verona and he doesn't fall in love. But his mouth just refused to work. She continued, "Patrick, honey. Please come home. Brad's gone out of town on a business trip, so it'll be just us."

Patrick frowned. This was a topic he could discuss. This was familiar, if unpleasant. "And when he comes home? He'll just freak and throw me out again."

"No, Patrick. I'll talk to him on the phone tonight. I'll sort it all out. I promise."

Patrick was considering it, when he noticed Kat step through the sliding glass doors and sit on the steps of the porch. She was smiled and waved at him. As she stretched her legs to soak up the sun, she started reading some kind of magazine or book, he couldn't tell which. His mom continued, saying how Brad was working on controlling his temper better and blah, blah, blah. But Patrick found he had lost interest in the conversation. He was wondering what Kat was reading. He was noticing how she was so intensely into it that she wasn't even trying to eavesdrop anymore. He was thinking how he liked how when she loved something, threw her whole self into it. How could he go back home when he could be here, with her?

"Mom-" he cut his mom off. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'm going to stay here for a little longer. I...need more time."


	4. Is This Love?

**Disclaimer: Uggh...the disclaimer from all previous chapters still holds true. And will continue to do so for the remainder of this story and beyond. I am so done writing disclaimers.**

"Good Morning!" If Patrick Verona were capable of chirping anything, that's what he did the next morning as Kat teetered down the stairs, still trying to find her center of balance with the "Sympathy Belly" around her waist.

"G'morning," she replied, not nearly so enthusiastically. She was wearing one of her dad's old gray sweatshirts (none of her shirts fit over the _belly_) with some plaid pajama bottoms. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, bangs falling gracefully around her face.

"Aw, what's the matter? Rough night?"

"I woke up probably ten times because I kept trying to roll onto my stomach. Did not work out well."

Walter walked in just in time to hear Kat's last statement. "Ah, glad to hear that you're beginning to see the consequences of having sex before you're married."

Just then, Dr. Stratford's pager went off. He left to go call the hospital, coming back in a few moments later and sighing. "I've got to get to the hospital," he grumbled. "One of my patients just went into labor prematurely." Never one to pass up an opportunity for a life lesson, he added, "I hope the mother and baby are both okay. You see what kind of danger you put yourself in, Kat?" As he grabbed his things and ran out the door, he stopped long enough to turn and glare at Patrick. Then, turning to Kat, he said, "Remember-"

"-Big Brother is watching," Kat finished for him. "I know. And the thought police are just waiting to take me away if I even think about removing this belly and having sex again." Walter nodded and kissed his daughter on the cheek, then left.

Looking awkwardly around the room, Kat wasn't sure what to do next. She was suddenly very aware of how she must look, and was just about to excuse herself to get dressed, when Patrick suddenly said, "Breakfast!"

"What?" Kat asked.

Patrick grabbed a frying pan that was hanging in the kitchen. "Breakfast! I mean, it's the least I can do after...getting you fake pregnant and all." He smiled.

"You're right," Kat retorted, "That is the very least you can possibly do." She laughed, her insecurities slipping away as they lapsed into their easy banter.

"Well, if that's the way you feel about it, you can fend for yourself." Patrick feigned hurt and started putting the frying pan back, but Kat quickly stopped him.

"No, no! I mean, you...cooking? This I've _got_ to see."

"It's good to see that you have such faith in me. As it turns out, I make awesome pancakes."

She had to agree. His blueberry pancakes were delicious. After they finished, he even cleaned everything up while she went upstairs to shower and change, all the while thinking that maybe her father had gone soft. This punishment might not be so bad after all.

By five o'clock that night, however, she had completely changed her assessment. "God, I really don't want to deal with this right now, Patrick!" she found herself shouting. They had gotten into a fight over something (she couldn't remember now what, but it was his fault, she was sure).

"You never want to deal with anything! That's your problem! When things get too real, you just lock yourself away in your little bubble and ignore the rest of the world!" He wasn't letting her escape all the blame.

"Oh, yeah, I'm _so_ repressed. You're the one who won't tell me anything about his life!" Ah yes, that's what this was about. She had asked a question, and when he evaded it, like he always did, she snapped. Accused him of never taking anything seriously. When truthfully, she was just upset because she was sore and tired and cranky. She didn't wait for his answer to her last accusation; instead she stormed upstairs, thankful her dad hadn't taken away her door so she could still slam it in anger. A few seconds later, she heard Patrick's motorcycle drive away. In spite of herself, she felt tears well up, and she did her best to hold them back. Letting out a sharp breath, she climbed in bed, hoping she just needed some alone time to cool off and start feeling herself again.

As she collapsed on her bed, Kat thought momentarily about removing the belly bump, but knew she'd never get away with it. Instead, she put on her headphones and tried to pretend it wasn't there.

She must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew, someone had shut off her lights and the house was quiet. She flicked on her bedside lamp and got up to go to the bathroom and brush her teeth. When she came back, her window was open and Patrick was crawling through. She laughed, then quieted herself, not wanting to wake anyone. "You know, I think my dad knows you're sleeping over now," she whispered. "There's really no need to climb through my window."

Patrick flashed her the smile that made her knees feel slightly weak and whispered, "Yeah, but it's much more fun this way." He tried to pull in for a kiss, but the awkward belly got in the way, and they both ended up laughing instead. Kat settled into bed, and Patrick, not waiting for an invitation, kicked off his shoes and joined her.

"My dad'll kill us both when he sees this footage," she whispered, glancing up at where she knew the camera was.

"Why? It's not like I'm going to try anything with you all...knocked up."

Kat couldn't argue with his reasoning. Or, more truthfully, she didn't want to. She liked him being so close, especially since it meant he wasn't mad at her anymore. He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him, kissing her softly on the forehead.

"I'm sorry for being kind of a psycho earlier," Kat muttered.

"Kind of a psycho, huh? Not a full-fledged raving maniac?" Patrick chuckled.

Kat smacked his arm lightly, then maneuvered herself so that her head was laying on his chest. "I was just tired, and my back is killing me, and...and this whole stupid punishment kind of got to me, I guess."

"Then why do you do it? Why go along with all of this?"

Kat pulled herself back and stared at him, dumb-founded. "What do you mean? What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know," Patrick shrugged, "Leave. Threaten to leave, at least. You don't have to put up with this crap, I know that."

Kat shook her head. Knowing her dad might eventually listen to anything she said, she chose her words carefully. "I love my dad," she started. "I know he's a little...unbalanced. Over-protective. And he worries way too much. But he's just doing what he thinks is best. And..." she hesitated. She and Patrick didn't usually get too deep into emotional stuff. But, she thought back to when he shared with her about his therapy sessions. She took a deep breath and continued, "And I already lost one parent. After my mom died...I couldn't...I mean...I can't imagine losing my dad too."

Patrick nodded, seeming to understand.

"Why are _you_ still here?" Kat at last asked the question she had been dying to since Friday afternoon. "You can leave. I'm sure there are other places you can stay until your step-dad cools off. Places with fewer...crazy people."

"Well, I'd miss you, crazy or not," Patrick grinned. "And...and I meant what I said to your dad the other day. I wouldn't just ditch you." He wanted to say so much more. Wanted to say those three little words that had been on the tip of his tongue for so long. But come on. He was Patrick Verona; he was a flesh-eating serial killer, according to the latest rumors. He definitely didn't go around proclaiming his love for girls. So, he just remained silent. Eventually, their silence turned into sleep, and the next thing Patrick knew, it was morning. The sunlight crept in through the curtains, bathing Kat in a warm light that made her look more beautiful than he had ever seen her. It made him wish that he could wake up next to her much more often. Instead of staying to enjoy the moment, however, he quickly and quietly got out of bed and headed downstairs, hoping Doctor Stratford wouldn't completely freak out about him and Kat accidentally spending the night together.


	5. And The Cradle Will Rock

It was Spring Break. Most kids were at the beach, or visiting relatives, or, if they were lucky, on a real vacation somewhere. Kat and Patrick, however, had been home all day, Kat was, of course, banned from leaving the house (she was honestly surprised that her dad hadn't bought an ankle bracelet). And Patrick had simply said that he didn't feel like going out (though the truth was, he couldn't think of anywhere he'd rather be than hanging out with Kat...as long as she didn't have another stress-induced freak-out).

Walter had called on his way home from work, saying he had a "surprise" for the two kids, and so at five-thirty in the evening, they were sitting in the living room, waiting for Walter to show them what he had.

"Kat," her father started, "you can take off the sympathy belly."

Kat barely let her dad finish his sentence before ripping the cumbersome lump off her stomach. She laughed and sank into the couch, bringing her knees all the way up to her chest in exaltation. "Thank you, dad," she sighed.

"Five days you were wearing that," Walter lectured. "Imagine wearing it for nine months."

"I literally have nightmares about it now, thank you very much."

"So," Patrick interrupted, "does that mean her punishment is over? Is that your big surprise?"

"That particular phase of the punishment is over, yes. But let me see, what happens after pregnancy...oh yes!" He brought out what he had hidden behind the couch. It was a baby seat with a doll sitting inside. "After the pregnancy, comes the baby!"

Patrick stared, wide-eyed, not believing what he was seeing. This guy was completely unhinged. "Kat has to take care of a doll?"

"No no no!" Walter protested, clearly excited about his brilliant punishment. "Not a doll. This is a state-of-the-art baby simulator. She cries, she eats, she poops. Well, not literally, but she will cry and you will rock her, or feed her, or change her diaper. And no, it's not just Kat who will be taking care of her." Walter grinned his evil smile again. "Come on, you're the big man, Pat."

"Patrick," he corrected.

"You said you were going to be here for Kat. Let's see you put your money where your mouth is." As if on cue, the baby started to cry; it was a horrible, mechanical sound but just real enough to be stressful.

Patrick stared helplessly at Kat, who was suddenly very amused by the whole situation. She just shrugged and passed him the fake baby bottle. "Make sure you support little Jane's head when you pick her up," she teased.

Cautiously, Patrick picked the baby up out of its seat and put the bottle up to its lips. The speaker on its back started making a sucking noise as if the baby were drinking. In spite of himself, Patrick grinned. "I did it!" he said proudly. "Oh, I am _so_ making father of the year."

Kat tilted her head and smiled, patting him on the back. "Congratulations, dad."

**End Note: Okay, it's another heinously short chapter. But I have chapter six all written, I just have to edit it and fine-tune it. It should be up maybe tomorrow? And then the chapters'll start coming slower since that's as far as I have written. I have a basic outline, but since I don't actually have the chapters written, now is your chance to give your input. Is there anything you'd love to see in one of the chapters? I've got 5 more days to play with!**


	6. Stormy Weather

Kat cursed under her breath as she trudged up the stairs to her room, fake baby in tow. She had finally gotten little "Jane" to sleep. Patrick had mysteriously vanished when the doll started crying, and after forty-five minutes of rocking it back and forth, Kat was more than a little pissed that her "baby daddy" wasn't pulling his weight. As she got to her room, she found the man-boy in question sitting on her windowsill. The window was open and he had one leg hanging out the window; his back was against the window frame and his other leg was resting, knee-bent, on the sill. He turned his head when he heard her enter, and smiled at her. "Baby asleep?" he asked.

She scowled at him, "No thanks to you," she whispered. "What the heck are you doing up here?"

"Just watching the lightning," he shrugged. Though it wasn't raining yet, there was the occasional flash of lightning in the dark night air.

"Ah, good. As long as you blew me off for something really important," she sneered sarcastically, still in hushed tones.

"Okay, first of all," Patrick said getting up from the windowsill, "I've been helping all day, and all last night. And secondly, why are you whispering? You know it's not a real baby. She's not actually going to wake up until the stupid timer tells her, 'Hey it's time to piss some teenagers off now!'"

"I'm just-" Kat had to stop herself from whispering in answer. She started again in a normal voice, "I'm just trying to take this seriously. Which is more than I can say for some people," she gave Patrick an accusatory look.

"C'mon, Kat," he replied reaching out to grab Kat around her waist, "It's just a stupid punishment. You don't have to take it seriously. You just have to get through it, then things can get back to normal."

Kat's eyes narrowed as she stepped away from Patrick's embrace. "I _really _hurt my dad. I don't know if he'll ever trust me again. When my punishment is over, which, by the way, I don't really foresee my punishment ever ending, but if it does, that doesn't mean things will be normal again."

Patrick couldn't think of anything to say to that. He tried pulling Kat in for a quick kiss by way of apology, but she pushed him away again. "Good night, Patrick," she said, coldly.

"Kat, I just-" he started, but she silenced him with one look. He grudgingly marched out the door. As she closed it behind him, he heard the lock turn. _Great_, he thought. _Whether I say anything or keep my mouth shut, I always end up in trouble._

As he settled into the couch downstairs, Patrick noticed the baby's bottle tucked under the cushions. He pulled it out and jogged upstairs to give it to Kat. They decided they'd take turns with the baby at night. Patrick had kept Janie the first night, and tonight was Kat's turn. He knew she'd be desperate for the bottle in about an hour and a half. But when he knocked on her door, Kat didn't answer. He tried again, and a muffled "I'm busy!" came from the other side.

"Kat, just open the door-" he started, but once again she cut him off.

"Patrick, I don't want to talk about it right now. I'll see you tomorrow."

Patrick sighed and headed back downstairs. He knew she was going to need that bottle. Why did she have to be so stubborn? She didn't even know why he knocking on her door! Fine. Whatever. He didn't care. Let her go crazy trying to find the bottle. It'd serve her right. He lay back down on the couch. Another bolt of lightning lit up the room, and a few seconds later, the thunder came with it. Patrick rolled onto his side, and found himself staring at that stupid baby bottle. He shut his eyes and listened to the rain which had finally started pouring outside. At his side, his fingers were drumming anxiously. Suddenly, he got up, and grabbed the bottle.

Kat was in her room, glaring at the baby doll "sleeping" in its carrier next to her bed. Why did her dad have to be a gynecologist? Why did he have to be such a basketcase? And why couldn't Patrick just see how important this ridiculous exercise was, not just to her dad, but to her? Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a tapping on her window. At first, she thought it was just the wind. But then the tapping came again, in a very un-random rhythm: _tap-tap-tap-TAP. Tap-tap-tap-TAP. Tap-tap-tap-TAP. _She got up from the bed, and stood motionless as her brain tried to register what she was seeing.

Patrick was outside her window. In the rain. His white shirt was soaked and clinging very nicely to his body. He had a baby bottle in his hand.

Snapping out of it, Kat rushed to unlock the window and let in her drenched boyfriend. She couldn't help but laugh as he climbed inside, clutching the baby bottle. She laughed, "You really have a window fetish, don't you?"

"Nah, I just thought you'd like to see me soaking wet...hair messed...clothes clinging to my chiseled body..." Kat rolled her eyes at his remarks, pretending she hadn't been noticing exactly those things before she let him in.

"Chiseled, huh? When was the last time you went to the gym?" she asked.

"Irrelevant." You know you want me right now." He tossed the bottle on her bed and reached out once more to pull her in for a kiss. This time she didn't resist, and instinctively deepened the kiss, running her fingers through his watter-logged curls Just then they were interrupted by Kat's door flinging open. Bianca was asking about some pointless thing or other, but she stopped mid-sentence as she saw Patrick and Kat together.

"Oh my god," she whined, "You know Joey hasn't called me all week. I can only assume it's because he's too busy hooking up with the super-skank. Do you have to flaunt your love around like this? Not cool."

"We're not flaunting...anything," Kat said carefully. "This is my room. Maybe you shouldn't barge in without knocking! What do you want, anyway?"

But Bianca's mind had already forgotten about whatever she had come in for in the first place. "Does dad know about your little make-out sessions in your room? I doubt he'd approve. Why are you wet?" She directed this last question to Patrick.

"I had an accident," he dead-panned.

"So we've gotta get him cleaned up, mmkay? Buh-bye now!" Kat shoved her sister out the door before she could continue this pointless conversation.

"The door was unlocked?" He should be pissed, but Patrick was grinning in spite of himself.

Kat followed his eyes to her closed door. "Um...yes," she answered. "I guess when I came back from the bathroom, I didn't lock it again."

He chuckled, "Okay, good to know. Check the door before climbing up a trellis in the middle of a storm."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea...what was the point of the trellis-climbing anyway?"

"Oh yeah," Patrick exclaimed, as if he, like Bianca, had forgotten about his purpose in coming to see Kat. He grabbed the bottle from where he had thrown it, "Here. I didn't want Janie to go hungry just because we were in a fight."

Kat laughed. "Yeah, imagine if we did that, our poor kid would starve to death before her first year." Just then, the mechanical cries started yet again. Kat sighed, "And it looks like you were just in time."

Patrick picked the baby up carefully from its carrier, and motioned for the bottle. Kat shook her head and took Jane from his arms. "Thanks, but I can take care of it. You go get dried off," she smiled. Patrick nodded and turned to leave, by the door this time, not the window. As he was shutting it behind him, he heard Kat, almost in a whisper, call his name, "Patrick?" He stopped and turned back to her. He words were quiet, but dripping with meaning. "Thank you."

**End Note: Okay, even if no one else cares, I love this chapter. It makes me want to squee. :) Chapter inspired by "Stormy Weather" by The Kooks. Hm...another chapter based on a song by a british band. Can you tell what I've been listening to lately? lol.**


	7. Between You And Me

**A/N: I hope you guys like this chapter. I personally cannot seem to get enough of mushy gushy in-love Patrick (though I fancy that I've done a pretty decent job of keeping him in character), but if I'm over-doing it please let me know and I shall do my best to rein it in.**

At breakfast the next day, Walter found his eldest daughter with her head down on the table, hair in her oatmeal, asleep. Patrick was just coming out of the shower, still toweling off his hair, and Walter couldn't help but notice the man-boy's faint smile at seeing Kat.

Walter had been working longer hours than he would have liked, and each night on his way home from work, he prayed that he wouldn't see a certain motorcycle in the driveway. And every night he was disappointed."You're still here," said Walter brusquely to Patrick.

"So it would appear," Patrick replied.

"Not helping Kat with the baby, I see. I hope you're enjoying the free place to stay, at least."

Patrick clenched his fist as he went to throw his dirty clothes in his bag. "Have I said lately how much I appreciate you letting me stay?" he asked, gritting his teeth. He was getting a little tired of being treated like a degenerate by Walter. "And actually, I have been helping with the baby. It's just that Kat and I didn't think you'd appreciate us spending all night together, so we're taking turns with her at night."

Walter simply nodded, not entirely willing to praise Patrick for his responsibility. But he managed to force a smile before kissing the top of Kat's head and running out the door to work.

"Kat," Patrick whispered, gently cleaning her hair out of her food and nudging her shoulder.

"Mmm?" she mumbled, eyes still closed.

"Kat, why don't you head upstairs and get some sleep?"

She lifted her head from the table. She had a half-smile on her face as she muttered, "Why? Rosemary's baby over there will just cry the second I close my eyes. It's like it knows when I'm about to fall asleep, and chooses that moment to shriek, just to screw with my mind."

Patrick helped her up from the table and over to the couch. "Yeah, you really need to get some sleep," he said. "I'll take care the the demon-child. By the way, can I borrow your car?"

"You gonna dump her body in the ocean?"

Patrick laughed, "No. But if I'm going to take care of her while you sleep, I'll need something more than my motorcycle. I've got stuff to do today."

Kat nodded her heavy head and motioned to where her keys hung on a hook by the door. "I promise I won't follow you this time," she yawned. He shook his head, smiling. She did remember; it was the first Thursday of the month which meant he had his therapist appointment.

* * *

In the parking lot of Dr. Gannon's office, Patrick looked furtively around. He was always paranoid when he went to these appointments that he would run into someone he knew. But today he had extra reason to be uneasy. He may have let his reputation slip a little in the past few months (it was general knowledge that he was in a committed relationship, which kind of detracted from the whole loner persona), but the last thing he wanted was someone from school seeing him walking into the medical complex with a baby carrier. Carefully putting the blanket over the carrier so that no one could see the fake baby inside, he practically sprinted into the building and to the elevator.

"Well, Patrick, you must have had quite a month. It seems a lot's happened since the last time I saw you," Dr. G was a middle-aged guy with a beard and horn-rimmed glasses. He smiled a lot and he always wore red Converse sneakers.

"Yeah, I guess," Patrick answered. He showed Dr. G the 'baby simulator'. "Kat and I kind of had a baby," he chuckled. Dr. G knew all about his relationship with Kat. Patrick's mom had forced him to start coming to therapy after his 5th suspension of sophomore year (incidentally, the year she had started dating Brad), but he was so glad he had stuck with it. Dr. G was awesome to talk to. Patrick spent the majority of his session catching Dr. G up on the all the crazy stuff that had been happening lately, including and beyond him and Kat finally (emphasis on _finally_) sleeping together, and her dad's ill-timed interruption, and all the aftermath.

"Her dad acts surprised every time he sees me. I guess he expected me to run screaming or something. I know he's just trying to figure out my angle, to see why I'm sticking around."

"And why are you sticking around?" Dr. G was one of those therapists who pretty much only spoke in the form of a question.

Patrick shrugged, "I just feel like...I'm to blame for Kat being in so much trouble with her dad, at least partially. I figure, it's the least I can do to be there for her to help get her through it."

Dr. G nodded and made a note. Patrick hated when he wrote notes; he was always itching to grab that stupid notebook and read it.

"How do you feel about Kat, Patrick?"

Patrick groaned. This was a question that was asked nearly every session since the first time he mentioned Kat. "C'mon Doc, do we have to do this?"

"Patrick, you know one of the biggest issues we've been working on with you is your fear of opening up to people. You always seem afraid of your own emotions."

"You wanna talk about emotions? Let's talk about my anger. At Brad. For kicking me out of my own damn home again."

Dr. G chuckled. "Yes, I know you have no problem expressing negative emotions, Patrick. Let's try some positive ones. I'll ask you again. I just want you to think about the answer, at least. What are your feelings towards Kat?"

Just then, the grating cries of baby Jane started up. "Oh, Doc," Patrick smiled, "You know I'd love to answer that question for you. But I've gotta take care of this." He took the doll from it's carrier and went about what had become an efficient, systematic check. Diaper? No. Sleep? No. Food? Yes. As the cries quieted, Dr. G was scribbling notes.

"Aw, c'mon," Patrick moaned, "What can you possibly be taking notes about?"

"I've known you over two years, now, Patrick. I've heard you talk about girls you've dated, friends you've made—but I've never seen you attached to someone with as much dedication as with Kat." He laughed, "I wish I could meet her; she must be one hell of a woman!"

Patrick grinned. Looking down at the baby still in his arms, he had to agree. He had never tried this hard with a girl in his life. Suddenly, his smile faded.

Patrick knew that whatever he said here in the office was confidential. Even so, it was hard forcing up the words. He hated that it was so hard to say, since he knew now that it was absolutely true. Still, he found himself with a lump in his throat as the words came out, "I'm in love with her."

**End Note: Ah, now if only he can say it to her! Two of the final three chapters are written, I just have to edit and refine before posting. Yay! (On completely random note, is it weird that I named the therapist after The Legend Of Zelda? I couldn't think of a name, but I wanted it to start with "G" for some reason. Ganon was the first thing I could think of, then I just added an extra "N").**


	8. Love Ire And Song

Patrick was hanging out on the couch that evening, headphones in, when Kat came down the stairs. The baby was "sleeping" in its carrier by the couch (which just meant that it wasn't programmed to scream bloody murder for another hour or so), and Patrick was flipping through a magazine. Kat smiled at him; he nodded at her and then quickly turned his eyes back to the page. She sat next to him. She was getting a bad case of cabin fever. Bianca had been at the beach all day with Cameron and Michael, and Patrick had been in and out of the house. She tried to tell herself she was being paranoid, but it almost seemed like he was avoiding her. He had been acting strangely ever since he got home from his therapist appointment the day before, and every time she came to find him, he was 'just on his way out'.

"What are you up to tonight?" she asked.

Patrick pulled one earbud out and cocked his head, indicating he hadn't heard her the first time. She repeated the question, and he answered, "Oh, I have those tickets. Since you can't go with me, I told Ronnie he could have yours. He likes Johnny Saint."

Kat nodded, pursing her lips. Of course. He had bought those concert tickets for them weeks ago; Johnny Saint & The Holy Rollers was one of Patrick's favorite bands.

"In fact," he added, checking the time, "I should probably get going. I'll probably grab a bite to eat first. You don't mind, right? I mean, it's your night to take care of the robo-baby and all..."

"Yeah, no, totally," Kat plastered a smile on her face. "Have fun! Try and snag some video for me if they play-"

"'Heaven Sent'?"

"My favorite song," she confirmed. She smiled at him and he returned it, but left without a kiss goodbye, which did nothing to allay her concerns.

"Where's he going?" Bianca asked, walking in as Patrick left.

"Concert," was Kat's one-word reply.

Clearly her tone was not missed by her sister, who asked, "Jealous much?"

Kat sighed. "He can do what he wants. It's a free country. _Never mind_ the fact that I'm pent up in this house all day like an animal in a highly unethical zoo. _Never mind_ the fact that I was really looking forward to that concert. _Never mind_ the fact that he's been avoiding me all day. _Never mind_-" Kat stopped as she saw the look on her sister's face and realized she was ranting. "Um...never mind," she finished sheepishly.

Bianca just raised her eyebrows and suppressed a smile. "Anyway," she said, "I've got my own problems. Tonight's the Biggest Poser, where I'll finally get to see once and for all what a lying, scum-sucking, two-faced little jerk Joey is. Wanna watch with me?"

Kat rolled her eyes, "Pass."

"Come on, Kat, please?" Bianca's face softened. "I can't watch alone."

"What about your friends? I'm sure they'd be more than willing."

"Dawn's grounded. She kind of borrowed her dad's charge card and bought $300 worth of shoes online. And Cameron & Michael ran home for some Warlords & Warriors tournament online or something. Please, Kat?" Kat groaned, but nodded in assent.

Kat didn't have to watch to tell you what was going to happen. And she was completely right. The slimy producers of the show had wanted to create a sense of drama, so they froze the scene just after Coliviette attached herself to Joey's face. In the first two seconds of the new episode, she and Bianca saw Joey push the skinny model off him, and shout "What are you doing?" As the girl continued trying to flirt with Joey, he just got more and more outraged. "I have a girlfriend!" he demanded. He didn't even wait for another response from the girl, instead he stormed out of the hot tub and back to his room.

Bianca was grinning like an idiot by the time the show was over. Joey had apologized & proclaimed his love for her on national television. As soon as the show ended the phone rang. Joey was explaining that the producers wouldn't let him call her until after the episode aired; apparently he had agreed to keep "vital show information" confidential, and the producers didn't want there to be any chance of a "leak" as to what actually happened. Kat shook her head and smiled. She was glad for her sister; Bianca hadn't been herself since the previous week. But somewhere, deep, deep, inside, she felt a twinge of jealousy. Bianca and Joey had been dating for as long as she and Patrick had. She knew Patrick was nothing like Joey (thank god!) but still, she was a little jealous that Bianca had a boyfriend who was so open with his emotions. Still, she thought, Patrick had been _showing_ he cared for her all this past week. Could she really ask for more? She was feeling overwhelmed. And, as she sometimes did when life got overwhelming, she decided to make a mental list. Good things and bad things.

Her and Patrick had gotten back together. That was good.

Her dad had walked in on a very inopportune moment. That was bad.

Patrick hadn't run screaming from the house. That was good.

She now had to take care of a baby doll with a computer chip that was seriously disturbing her sleep cycle. That was bad.

Patrick was helping. That was good.

Except that today, he had been strangely distant. That was bad.

As the baby started whining, she was wondering if the bads outweighed the goods. Just as she was getting Janie quiet again (did real babies need their diaper changed as often as this one pretended to?), her phone started beeping.

It was a message from Patrick. _Wish you were here. Ronnie's making a fool of himself with every girl he sees...you'd love it_. Attached was a video, a short clip of the song "Heaven Sent". She smiled.

That was good.

**End Note: So, I keep trying to do these "Patrick Acts Like A Jerk" chapters, but I always seem to throw in something at the end where he makes up for it by being super sweet. I think I have issues, I'm just not sure what they are. :P Next chapter'll hopefully be up tomorrow, and (if I do say so myself), it's gonna be a good one. :) Only two more chapters left!**


	9. Bold As Love

**First off, two things that have nothing to do with the story: H3yyy0u, which article were you referring to in your review? I'd love to read it! And Silverpistola, yeah all the chapters are song titles and I did name Chapter 8 after the Frank Turner song. I saw him live last year with Flogging Molly and fell in LOVE with him!**

**Anyway...on to what is definitely my favorite chapter of the story!**

It was only noon on Saturday, and it was shaping up to be a pretty dull day. Kat had spent most of the morning catching up on homework. She had a term paper due on Monday. She didn't mind; it was actually keeping her mind off of the fact that she had less than two days left before having to face the student body of Padua High. They might have memories like goldfish, but she doubted her insulting video would be entirely forgotten by Monday. Especially since someone had posted the thing to YouTube. "Someone" being Tabitha Cooke. Kat still hadn't decided what she was going to do to the little back-stabber, but Tabitha _would_ pay.

"Katarina," she was pulled out of her thoughts by her father's voice. "Kat!" he said again, and she snapped her head around to where he was standing impatiently.

"I've just got a call from the hospital, I have to go in."

"Okay," Kat shrugged.

"I needed to go grocery shopping today though. We have next to nothing in the pantry."

Kat's eyes widened. "You mean..."

"Yes," her dad affirmed. "I need you to go for me. Bianca will go with you to make sure that grocery shopping is _all_ you do."

"But daddy!" came Bianca's voice from the kitchen.

"No buts, young lady!" Walter was clearly not in a mood to be trifled with. Bianca sighed in resignation.

"Oh," added Walter as he ran out the door, "And make sure you bring...what have you been calling my teaching aid? Jane?"

"Dad, no!" Kat protested. "Patrick can stay here and take care of her. I am _not _going out in public with that thing!" Her argument fell on deaf ears, though, and Walter was out the door, stopping only long enough to leave Kat some money for the groceries.

"I think you _are_ going out in public with that thing," Bianca said evilly. She laughed, "This is better than reality television."

"What's going on?" Patrick walked into the room just then and looked at Kat quizzically.

She gave him a pathetic look. "It's time for a field trip," she said.

* * *

"You really didn't have to come," Kat told Patrick as they walked into the grocery store. Bianca was a few steps behind them, texting and not really paying attention to their conversation.

"Yeah," said Patrick, grinning, "But like your sister said. This is better than reality TV. I mean, you're so domestic!" Leaning in to her as she pulled out a shopping cart, he added, "It's kinda hot."

She smacked him on the arm and pulled him along to the first aisle. "Let's just get in and out of here before I have to change a diaper in the middle of the produce section," she said.

As if on cue, the first gentle whimperings started from under the blanket that was covering up Kat's embarrassing punishment. "No, no no no!" she hissed, and frantically tried to find the bottle to quiet the baby.

"Um...I just remembered," started Bianca, dramatically snapping her phone shut and backing away, "I need some...Neutrogena. Be back...maybe." With that, she darted off down the aisle.

"Yeah," added Patrick, "I need some...stuff, too. Here!" he tossed the bottle towards Kat and took off down the next aisle.

"Douche," she muttered under her breath as she started feeding the baby. Keeping the bottle in place with one hand, she steered the cart with the other, down to the aisle where Patrick was hiding. She was exhausted and sick of Patrick's weird behavior. She wasn't going to put up with it anymore. "What the hell?" she spat.

"Kat, I'm sorry," he laughed, "I just..._really_ didn't want to feed a fake baby in the grocery store."

Kat glanced around quickly. Seeing that the aisle was empty aside from the two of them, she felt free to raise her voice a little. "No, Patrick. I'm serious. What is your deal? One moment you're totally helpful, and the next you're acting like you want nothing to do with me."

Patrick's smile disappeared. He tilted his head and replied, "Oh, and you're so stable? Yesterday you bit my head off because I left a _spoon _in the sink."

"How hard is it to wash a freaking spoon?"

"How hard is it to chill out?"

"Yeah, you're right. It's not like I have anything stressful going on in my life right now!" She had abandoned the bottle now—the doll was quiet—and she was gesturing wildly with her arms.

"Oh, yes, I forgot. Kat's the only person in the world with any stress. You know, I've gone through _everything _you have this week!"

"Why? Why, Patrick? No one is forcing you to be here. So if you really hate it that much, then why are you still here?"

He stopped for a moment, and shrugged lamely. Then, his voice still harsh, added, "Why does it matter?"

"Because it does! Because sometimes people want to know how other people feel! That's not a bizarre request!"

"You want to know how I feel?"

"Just once would be nice!"

Patrick groaned, running one hand through his hair. He turned away from Kat, then spun around and blurted out, "I'm here because I love you, okay? I'm in love with you! I don't know, I must be out of my mind!" With that, he stalked off and around the corner of the next aisle. Bianca, who had been hiding out at the end of the aisle, came up to join her stunned sister.

As Kat tried to gather her thoughts, the baby started fussing again (exactly five minutes after it was done eating, Kat had learned, it needed to be burped). Bianca stopped her sister. "I'll take care of this," she said in a low tone, "You go take care of that," she motioned to the spot where Patrick had stood. Kat mouthed _Thank You, _because she couldn't seem to find her voice. She walked slowly around to the next aisle to look for Patrick.

She found him staring intently at the cereal selection, hands in his pockets. She stood next to him, mirroring his position. They stayed silent for a moment, neither one willing to face the other. Finally, still staring ahead of him, Patrick managed, "That's not really how I was planning on telling you."

Kat had to clear her throat before she was able to actually reply. "Did you mean it?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"I..." her voice caught in her throat. She started again, "I love you too."

"I love you," Patrick said for the second time. He finally turned to face Kat, and she looked at him as well. "It sounds better when I'm not shouting it," he decided, with a small smile. Kat broke into a grin and laughed softly.

"Yeah," she agreed, "It does."

The two took a step closer, so that they were mere centimeters apart. Patrick took Kat's chin in his hand and tilted her head up so she was looking into his eyes. "Hey," she said, as if greeting him for the first time that day.

"Hey back," he replied, then closed the gap between them as he leaned in to kiss her.

A few minutes later, Bianca came searching for them, and forced Kat to pry herself away from Patrick long enough to finish grocery shopping. It was a good thing, too, Kat thought later. If they had been left on their own much longer, it was very probable they would have been banned from the grocery store for indecent exposure.

**End Note: Man, this was a hard chapter to write! But there it is, they finally said it! Literally the only way I could wrap my head around Patrick saying "I love you" was if he said it during an argument. :) One chapter to go, more like an epilogue, really, just wrapping everything up on the Sunday before spring break ends. **


	10. Haze Of Love

Kat and Patrick had both been walking around all day in a blissful daze. Currently, they were sitting on the couch. Patrick had his feet up on the coffee table and one arm around Kat, who was snuggled up close to him with her feet curled underneath her. They were flipping though one of Bianca's magazines making fun of the articles.

"Five ways to firm your butt," Kat read.

"Just what I was hoping to do this week," Patrick quipped.

"Kat?" Walter called from the kitchen. Kat groaned.

"Yes?" She called back.

"Come set the table for dinner!"

Kat disentangled herself from Patrick with a quick kiss. "You're not leaving before dinner, are you?" she asked him. Walter had made it clear Patrick was welcome only as long as Kat was being punished, and the baby had been switched off that afternoon.

"It's not one of your tofu dishes, is it?" he asked.

Kat laughed. "No, don't worry. My dad made lasagna I think."

Patrick shrugged and nodded, "I guess I can stick around for that."

Kat nodded and went to go set four places for dinner.

In the kitchen, Walter couldn't help but notice his daughter humming and smiling while gathered the dishes and brought them to the dining room. In fact, she had been acting strangely all day, he reflected. He was just considering whether or not he should make her take a drug test when Bianca entered the kitchen. She followed Walter's gaze to Kat and smiled. "It's kind of cute, isn't it? I mean, it just goes to show there really is someone for everyone. Even a socially maladjusted freak like Kat."

"Bianca, be nice," Walter scolded, then paused. "What are you talking about. Do you know why Kat's acting this way? Shouldn't she be wallowing in misery, deeply regretting ever meeting that man-boy and especially regretting...her misconduct from last week?"

Bianca smirked, "Oh daddy, that's cute. You really think that, don't you? I mean, don't get me wrong. It was a totally ingenious punishment. And I think you've seriously decreased your chances of _ever_ having grandchildren. But, Kat's not regretting meeting Patrick, that's for sure." She lowered her voice as if sharing some great secret. Now that her and Joey were back together, she was back to thinking of the whole world as a romantic comedy, and she was excited to see how her sister's story would play out. "They said 'I love you' for the first time yesterday!" she squealed.

"What?" Walter asked, obviously less than thrilled. He thought he might prefer if she had been on drugs.

"Yeah, in the grocery store yesterday. It was _so_ romantic. I mean, for them. They were fighting, and...and he just blurted it out, like he didn't _want_ to say it, he _had_ to say it, y'know?"

Just then, Kat came in and announced the table was ready. "Patrick's going to stay for dinner, if that's okay with you," she said, kissing her dad on the cheek. Walter could only nod. He was still shell-shocked from this new revelation.

Walter, Kat and Patrick were all very quiet during dinner. Bianca was more than willing to keep up the conversation, however, and all in all the meal went by quite quickly. As Bianca and Kat cleared the table, Walter stood up. "Patrick," he said gruffly, "Can I see you in my office?" Patrick glanced, wide-eyed, at Kat, who could only shrug. He nodded and followed Walter in, who shut the door behind them.

"What's that about?" Kat asked her sister.

"Don't ask me," she replied. Then, letting out a small chuckle, added, "Maybe they're discussing your dowry!"

Kat glared, but then laughed. She was in too good of a mood to argue.

In the office, Walter sat behind his desk, and motioned for Patrick to take a seat as well. They sat in silence for a minute or two, and Patrick nervously drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. "Listen-" he started, but Walter chose that moment to speak.

"I hear you and Kat have reached...a new plateau in your relationship."

Patrick grinned, "I guess if you want to call it that."

Walter leaned forward in his chair, "If you hurt my daughter," he growled, "I will hurt you."

Patrick raised his eyebrows. "I believe you," he said. "But, I don't plan on hurting Kat. I meant what I said."

"I want to believe you," Walter said, leaning back. His voice had softened. "I guess...I just don't like thinking that my little cactus is almost grown, and falling in love. I want to protect her."

"Your little _what_?"

"Never mind. Just, tell me that you'll be good to her."

Patrick leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. He thought for a minute; he wasn't good at expressing himself but he really wanted to say the right thing here. It could determine whether or not Kat was ever allowed to see him again. Finally, he started, "I have never said 'I love you' to a girl before. I just want you to know, it's not something I just say to...you know, get what I want." This seemed to be the right thing to say, because Walter gave a (very small) smile, and stood up, indicating that he was done with the inquisition. He shook Patrick's hand on the way out.

As they exited the room, Walter put a hand on Patrick's shoulder and held him back for a minute for one last word of advice. "And don't think I missed all your little window shenanigans," Walter said. "Kat's door is coming off tonight and her window is being bolted shut."

That night, as Kat was falling asleep, she reflected on the week. She knew what she was supposed to learn from her father's punishment; she was supposed to learn that sex was evil and Patrick was a selfish person who would abandon her the second things got rough. But her father was wrong. More than just saying how he felt about her (which he also did, and which she still couldn't stop smiling over), Patrick had _proved_ how he felt about her. She might still be in hot water with her father, and the entire student body of Padua High still hated her, but the only thing that she was upset about was that her window was bolted shut so Patrick couldn't sneak in.

**End Note: Well, that's it for this story! I'm thinking I'll continue the series with what happens when Kat gets back to school, with all of Padua High hating her guts. But I also have other story ideas, so...we'll see what I end up writing first. Anyway, thanks so much for all the reviews and comments guys! I hope you'll stick around for my future stories!**


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